Stratton's new "Mean Face"

Stratton has started doing this funny "mean face" or "growling" thing. It started when he would get food on his nose, then we noticed him doing it when he had a runny nose and now he just does it to be silly! I guess he figured out that when he does it we laugh hysterically, and likes the attention! I finally got him to do it for me on video last night, too. I will be posting that later!

  

He is such a sweet boy! I love that he wants, and tries to make us laugh! That is one thing we are not short of in our house- laughter! We are constantly cracking up at the things that our little man does! Most of the time it is followed by a "No!". It is so hard to punish him for things that make us laugh, but it is in his best interest!

He is FINALLY, drinking out of his sippy cup really well! I thought the day would never come and was worried we'd have a toddler still clinging to his bottle! The ones he likes the best are the ones with the straws. He isn't a fan of the regular ones yet. He hasn't figured out that you have to turn them up to get anything out! We have been giving him some watered down baby juice and he seems to really like it. I'm sure it's much better than plain water. He looks like such a big boy drinking out of them. Where has my baby gone?!

Memorial Day weekend recap

We had a really busy weekend! Friday morning we went to Searcy to see the new baby and stayed in Searcy most of the day. Saturday Jarrod worked on the farm and took Stratton to my mom's. I cleaned and cooked most of the day in preparation for our dinner guests Saturday night. Our friends, Brian and Amanda Coats and their son, Landon were in town visiting from North Carolina so we had them and Amy and Dustin over for dinner Saturday night. I wish I had taken some pictures!! Landon is getting SO big! He is almost 2 years old now?! Can't believe how these babies are growing!! We had a great visiting with them! I wish we could see them more often! We may go visit them in the fall sometime- I hope!! Sunday after church we went to Hickory Ridge and had lunch at my grandparent's house. We left Stratton to spend the night with my mom and dad. We got back into J town and ran a few errands before church. After church we went to eat at Fat City with our friends from church and had another good visit with Brian and Amanda before they had to leave early Monday morning.  Monday we got up and Jarrod mowed the yard and I did some laundry then we got around and went to eat lunch at Olive Garden. Yum-O! Then we headed to Pangburn to visit with Daniel, Jennifer and Archer. We made a detour by my mom and dad's to pick Stratton up. We got to see where Daniel and Jennifer's new house is (not that I will ever find it again on my own it's out in the middle of nowhere!) it's so pretty! They have a pond and it's in a really wooded and secluded area. We mostly hung out at their house and got hold Archer! Stratton isn't very impressed with him. He doesn't even pay attention to him at all. I bet all that changes once Archer get's mobile, too! Daniel and Jennifer are doing so great, they already have him on a schedule and he is sticking to it like clock work! I'm telling you BabyWise is the best thing ever!! We headed back home around 7pm and got home gave Stratton a bottle put him to bed and then we went to bed! Whew! I need a day off to recover from the weekend! haha!

His shirt says "My Aunt Rocks" - Love it!!

No Stopping him now!

He learned to go up and down the small stairs in grandma and grandpa's rec room Sunday. He also learned what a glass door was. Should have got that on camera, his nose was all smushed up on the glass-too funny. He really likes playing in their rec room there is so much room to crawl around!! But once he tried the stairs he went up and down and up and down!! Why do kids find stuff like that so amusing?!

He is on the move!

Let's try climbing stairs. . .

. . . one stair. . .

 

. . . two stairs!

Can you see my mom and grandma in the doorway?

Mom found a turtle out in the yard and thought for sure he'd be scared of it- Nope! He wanted to hold it! She had to take it back out, because he got mad that she wouldn't let him touch it. Ewww! I guess he is 100% all boy!

Welcome baby Archer!

Archer William Johnson was born Friday morning and weighed 7lbs 4oz and was 20 1/2 inches! Stratton is so excited to have a cousin and we are very excited to have a nephew!! Archer and Jennifer are both doing great! Jennifer is bouncing back so quickly! Only a couple of hours after having Archer she didn't even look tired?! She's been up doing laundry and all sorts of stuff it took me weeks to be able to do! And Jennifer and Daniel are both handling new parenthood really well! Archer is such a great baby he is going 4 hours between feedings and at night will go almost 6 hours?! They have no idea how blessed they are!! 

Nothing sweet than a sleeping newborn!

Man! This family has sure grown in the last 5 years!!

2 weddings + 2 babies= one big happy family!

Nan, and her boys

Jealous, ya think?

Proud Uncle!

This is so funny! He's like, "Uh, Aunt Jen, you're supposed to be holding ME?!"

Slow down!!

Ok, I knew once Stratton started to crawl things would never be the same, but I didn't expect him to go from crawling to pulling up and trying to walk so quickly! I thought he'd crawl around for awhile, but apparently not. He will walk if you hold his fingers and he will walk around the ottoman or other furniture anything that he can hold onto for a little support, which makes me really nervous! The lady at daycare said she wouldn't be surprised if he started to walk on his own in the next couple of weeks?! What??!!! I am so not ready for him to walk yet!

We have had to keep the pack and play up to put him in while we get ready in the mornings. It was just taking up way too much time trying to keep our eyes on him and keep him out of stuff he should stay away from or out of. We tried the baby gate, but even just in our bedroom he can find something to get into!

He will crawl over to this window and pound on the blinds until I raise them. Then he and the dog can see each other! It was cute. . .until Sadey started scratching and chewing the screen on the window to bits! We had to take it off!! She has also started chewing at the trim around the back door and my patio chairs, now too! Just when we think that she has been doing so much better at chewing stuff! I do not recommend getting a puppy while you have a baby. It's too much sometimes! Trying to "train" them both! And when I say "NO!" to the dog, I think I am confusing Stratton!

[he beats on the window until she comes]

[then he stands there and talks to her]

[yeah, she's got a rough life!]

Unfortunately, Stratton is sick- again. The daycare called yesterday and said he had thrown up. Luckily Jarrod was in town and we were actually having lunch together when they called me. So, Jarrod took off yesterday afternoon and went and picked him up from Daycare and took him to the Dr. We decided to go ahead and take him in since he has still had a really runny nose and cough and we have a busy weekend planned, so if he was getting sick at least we might get a jump on it before it got too bad. Well sure enough, his ears were really red. So, they put him on more antibiotics- the third round in a month! And also gave us a decongestant. I hope it helps this time! He hasn't ran a fever or acted like he felt bad so hopefully it won't get worse before it gets better. And I didn't know this but babies throw up when they have ear aches and congestion, it's very normal. Since they can't blow their noses like we can to get rid of it, like we can a lot of times they throw it up- yucky!! Anyway, he went back to daycare this morning and was acting just fine! Kids have such a quick turn around. 

Girls and Babies Weekend: Day 3

Sunday we got up and went to church, we skipped class. I was impressed that we were all fed, dressed and ready to go for church at 10:00am! We went to lunch at Fat City since neither Meghan or Kristen had ever been there. And we got back to the house and put the boys down for a nap and got to visit some more before they left around 4:30. We had such a good time. I am so glad I finally got to meet baby Ian, and glad the girls got to meet Stratton for the first time. And so glad that Ian and Stratton got to meet and become friends! I mean after all,  they will be roomies in college some day. . .the college they attend is still debatable, Harding or U of A. I guess it depends on where they get their football scholarships, I know their daddy's are rooting for these future Razorbacks but Kristen would have major issues with that- she is not a fan, and that is putting it politely!

[Ian really liked Fat City, even though all he got was a bottle]

[Group shot:: Take 1]

Meghan decided she needed to hold Sadey since K and I both had babies to hold, we were laughing so hard. Can you see that look on S's face?! He's thinking "these chicks are nuts!"

[Group shot:: Take 2]

You can see what the boys were interested in!

[Group shot:: Take 3]

No dog this time, but the sun was really bright!

We had such a good time this weekend. It went by way too fast, though. I think we could have talked non-stop for a week! But we did have a lot to talk about! I am excited for Meghan and her hubby who are moving into a new house this weekend and she is due the end of July (and they aren't finding out what they are having so that makes it extra exciting)!! And Kristen and her family will be moving again, back to D.C., in the next few months, so that is super exciting! Jarrod and I have no plans to move or have a baby- so we are the boring ones! I am so glad that the good Lord decided that our 3 paths should cross, these girls are such a blessing to me! I love when we get to spend time together, but it makes me sad that we don't live closer and could do it more often! It's very exciting to think that the next time we do this there will be 3 babies. . .hopefully 3 boys! : )